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Marburg students at the Postgraduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice in Dubrovnik
From May 7 to 19, this year’s Postgraduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Among the participants were ICWC Director Dr. Wolfgang Form, ICWC staff members, and participants from the Marburg Trial Monitoring program! In previous years, students have repeatedly had the opportunity to take part in this exciting international course and meet high-ranking experts in criminology and victimology. In addition to engaging lectures and discussions on various aspects of victim research, the program also includes excursions that foster networking and getting to know fellow participants. The course is aimed at advanced students of law, humanities, social sciences, and education (social work).
We are delighted by the strong participation in the Postgraduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice and look forward to being just as well represented next year!
Read below the experience report of one of this year’s participants, Miriam Gandras:
We watch in fascination as the passing landscape changes and listen as the language of the boarding train passengers transforms into unfamiliar sounds for us. After 31 hours of travel, we arrive at our small holiday apartment in Dubrovnik with stiff necks and a need to stretch.
Already the next morning, the Postgraduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice begins at the Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik, which we are able to attend thanks to Dr. Wolfgang Form, Director of the Research and Documentation Centre on War Crimes (ICWC). At the start, over 70 participants and lecturers from a wide variety of countries and academic disciplines introduce themselves. During the two-week course, we attend five to seven lectures daily, which differ both in content and in quality. Nevertheless, the benefits of this interdisciplinary gathering become clear: whether one is interested in theoretical, dogmatic questions or more practice-oriented issues, new ideas and impulses emerge from the diverse lectures delivered by lawyers, criminologists, psychologists, or social workers. The lectures primarily focus on victim theories, dealing with victims, and alternative criminal justice models, which are often shaped by liberal perspectives and are rarely addressed in our usual university curriculum. Opinions such as the abolition of prisons are not uncommon and are argued convincingly.
To strengthen group cohesion, several events are organized, where the destination may not always be ideal, but we still gladly use the opportunity to socialize with international participants. It is exciting to engage with students from all continents and to have interesting and inspiring encounters outside the course. Additionally, we enjoy the beautiful Croatian landscape and local cuisine.
Towards the end of the two intensive weeks of learning, we are faced with the challenge of delivering presentations on a topic of our choice to the course group. We choose, in our view, relevant issues: “The Victimization of the Abortion Process” and “Violations of Indigenous People’s Rights in Development Projects – The Case of Agua Zarca,” which we prepare with interest and commitment. Our efforts are rewarded by critical questions and provocative comments, reflecting the engagement and curiosity of the audience.
The Postgraduate Course on Victimology, Victim Assistance and Criminal Justice was an exciting and enriching experience for us, which we, as students from various disciplines, highly recommend.
You can find further information on the website of the World Society of Victimology.